Comfortable New 12 months, philosofriends! Earlier than Each day Nous returns to a extra common posting schedule (subsequent week) I believed it could be value looking on the philosophy-related information and points that captured the eye of the philosophy career in 2023.
[photo by Justin Weinberg]
The most important occasions within the philosophy career over the previous yr (based mostly on the recognition of Each day Nous posts, adjusted considerably for publication date, and judged to be “in regards to the philosophy career”) have been:
- Wiley’s decision to fire the founder and longtime editor of the Journal of Political Philosophy, Robert Goodin, which raises questions on editorial independence, tutorial freedom, company affect and the means for resisting it, and the way forward for journal publishing within the career
- Australian Catholic University’s decision to close the Dianoia Institute of Philosophy, which in some methods matches with a seamless broader sample of the closing of philosophy packages, however was surprising owing to each the Institute’s analysis power and to ACU’s betrayal of college it had just lately recruited for positions there
- Philosophy of Physics publishing its inaugural issue; it was not the only recently launched journal related to philosophy and science
- Templeton Foundation’s elimination of its “Philosophy & Theology” department, leading to uncertainty regarding its future funding for philosophy projects
- The stabbing of a philosophy professor, apparently targeted specifically for teaching philosophy of gender, and some of her students, during a class meeting*
- The UK government appointing a philosopher as its first “free speech tsar”, which prompted additional dialogue of speech on campus in addition to governmental interference in campus affairs.
- Yale University officially replacing its graduate course requirement of logic with a formal methods requirement, which is expounded to numerous discussions right here in regards to the sorts of coaching philosophers ought to have.
- Dave Chalmers winning a 25-year old bet against Christof Koch over whether someone would have discovered a specific signature of consciousness in the brain by now, and the fallout from the publicity concerning that wager, together with controversy over an open letter calling integrated information theory “pseudoscience”.
Educational philosophy journals have been mentioned throughout quite a few posts in 2023, aside from the information in regards to the Journal of Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Physics. A few of the extra well-liked posts on the topic embody:
Relatedly, there have been a number of posts about philosophical writing and communication:
Giant language fashions reminiscent of ChatGPT and the prospect of different developments in AI, continued to immediate a number of sorts of discussions right here. Some have been in regards to the know-how and its significance, reminiscent of:
Different discussions involved how LLMs is perhaps utilized by teachers to write down or philosophize:
And a number of other centered on the challenges of instructing college students who’ve entry to this know-how, reminiscent of:
There have been, after all, different discussions of instructing and instructing assets, together with:
A number of posts about knowledge and data associated to graduate packages in philosophy have been printed this yr, together with:
A variety of posts have been about philosophy job market info, reminiscent of:
And although there have been many posts about cuts to philosophy programs and colleges eliminating philosophy majors, there have been additionally a few information objects about some constructive developments:
As regular, there have been a number of posts discussing metaphilosophical issues reminiscent of what philosophy is or what it must be, or what philosophers ought to do or be like, together with:
And a few on whether or not learning philosophy improves one’s pondering:
There have been quite a few posts about public philosophy and outreach, amongst which have been:
That final one was a part of the extremely popular sequence, “Philosophers on the Israel-Hamas Conflict“, which now has 9 posts in it.
It and one other in that sequence have been among the many most commented upon posts of 2023, the highest 5 of that are:
College strikes introduced in 2023 could be discovered here.
2023 noticed the deaths of a number of philosophers. You possibly can see an inventory of them, with hyperlinks to memorial notices, here.
One of many final posts of the earlier yr was Philosophy You Liked Published in 2023. That put up continues to be open for feedback, and I urge readers to proceed so as to add to the rising record of works there.
Some notes of thanks:
Thanks to the philosophers who authored visitor posts for Each day Nous over the previous yr, together with through the second annual Summer Guest Post Series, which I’m hoping shall be a daily characteristic to any extent further.
Due to John Hunt (tech help), Michael Glawson (on-line philosophy assets weekly updates), Dustin Sigsbee (assistant editor, Fall 2023) and the very proficient philosopher-comics Pete Mandik, Tanya Kostochka, Rachel Katler, and Ryan Lake.
Thanks, additionally, to the supporters of Each day Nous and the organizations that publicize right here.
Due to the individuals who write in to let me find out about information, info, and achievements.
Lastly, thanks, Each day Nous readers. It’s a privilege to offer this service, and I respect you studying and commenting on the posts right here. 2024 will see the tenth anniversary of Each day Nous—are you able to consider it?—and I actually wouldn’t have saved it working all these years with out you.
In fact, I acknowledge that not everybody studying the positioning likes me, my views, and the way I run issues. I’m open to criticism, after all, however I’m additionally reassured by the saying, “you possibly can’t please all the folks all the time”. It’s reassuring as a result of philosophers are folks, too, and anybody who has spent any time observing philosophers can let you know that being happy on a regular basis is not one thing we would like.
With that, so lengthy 2023.
I hope you all have an attractive 2024.
— Justin Weinberg
* Some readers have requested why DN has not followed-up on this information story, significantly on how the victims are doing and what steps the college has taken in response. The reply is partly owed to preferences of these concerned within the incident, as conveyed to us by others. We are able to report, although, that the attacker has been charged with tried homicide, 4 counts of assault with a weapon, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of possessing a weapon, and one depend of mischief for damaging a Pleasure flag, and has a courtroom date developing in January, according to the Waterloo Area Report.
